Malacañang yesterday stood by the integrity, honesty, and dedication of the Armed Forces of the Philippines amid the allegations of Jolo, Sulu Mayor Hussin Amin that some military officers are allegedly conniving with the Abu Sayyaf Group for ransom money.

THE election of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the next president of the Philippines raises hopes that Mindanao will be getting much greater attention than it has received in the past from the national government.

With one month to go before the start of the 2016-2017 school year, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto asked the national government yesterday to promptly release the P3.64 billion that the Senate had added to the 2016 national budget of 114 state universities and colleges in full.

Faced with allegations of inaction on the Kidapawan incident, the national government is ready to explain to the public and even open its records on the use of public funds intended to mitigate the El Niño dry phenomenon.